The Plain of the Gods is disappearing
10
OCT/20
Oni’s Dream:
Oni was afraid to close his eyes. He sat up and listened to the falling water. He picked a spot nearest the waterfall. He loved the pounding of the water as it flowed by him and fell into the pipe below. This water was magical. For his entire life, water as the only thing they always needed. Even in Trobridge and Raam, water was life and wealth. Here they were, likely the wealthiest people in the world. He remembered one of the books he read about someone who thought salt was wealth. This was greater. He reached out his hand and scooped a little water into his mouth. He felt engorged.
Oni looked up the long walkway. He saw his entire group trying to rest. He David was taking the first watch. Those two, Sora and David were at the other end of the tunnel. They all felt mildly safe, but no one spoke above the sound of the pounding water. Sora was finally going to sleep. Oni felt guilty once again. He thought he should have asked the Puzzle Cat how to cure her. He knew she was cursed but has wondered all along if that sword cursed them all. With her asleep could he take it in the night and get rid of it. How long does it take to break the curse? No way to know and it would just build more distrust among her and them. He did not want to do that.
Everyone else was laying down. Oni felt the little tingles of Herman walking out on his arm. Herman walked out on his arm and walked up on the wall. He had been sleeping a while back and Oni thought he might be watching out for Oni as he slept. Herman was Oni’s best and greatest friend. Herman walked out on the wall turned around and sat back on his hind legs. Oni had never seen him do that before. He was not sure how his little body could even do it.
Herman bent his body to sit on his last set of legs. He folded up to look directly at Oni. Oni just stared and watched him. Herman had a little bag. He first pulled out a tiny pair of glasses. He placed them on his little bug face. Herman did not have compound eyes, but they made him look like he had multiple eyes. It was as if he could now see more. He pulled out a little board and what Oni could only describe as a pencil. In Herman’s amazingly deep voice that he musters when he actually talks, “that is better.” Herman looked over the glasses at Oni, “tell me why you are afraid to go to sleep.”
Oni looked at him in a strange way, “I am not afraid. I am not just tired.”
Herman: “tell me about a time in your childhood when you were afraid but refused to acknowledge it.”
Oni: “Hey, what are you saying. That never…. Oh I get it I am already asleep.”
Herman: “indeed you are.”
Oni: “why am I talking to you?”
Herman: “My guess is you are afraid to go back to your dream.”
Oni: “I cannot go through that again.”
Herman: “As you know, there is great suffering to achieve great goals. Hiding from it will work well. What would Ippi tell you.”
Oni: “Stand Firm. He would likely tell me to use a stone stance and stand firm.”
Herman: “Well”
Oni opened his eyes. He was on the great plain again. He looked straight out and saw many black spots. He did not want to look around. He did not want to see her again. He could feel the tower or spire right next to him. Without moving his body, he took a quick look and there is was. The Black Spire was right there. He moved into a low Stone Stance and mentally went through one of his forms. Finally building the courage to look around, he searched to area, praying to not see Arnia.
Oni breathed out a sigh of relief, as he did not see her. He did notice a giant section of the plain turn black as he scanned around. And he could see someone on the other side of the tower. He slowly moved around to the front of the tower. The silent image was there. Sitting at a table were three creatures. The plain was always amazing as things you should see clearly, slowly come into focus. No, focus was not right. It is they change to become more clear. Oni knew immediately none of them were Arnia. He could breath again.
The three creatures at the table were two human women and a horned beast. One the woman was a little taller than Oni. The other woman was huge. She could have been a full pace taller than him. Her shoulders were strong and spread out about a normal pace as well. She was huge. Oni had heard of half giants but have never seen one. She could have been one. The horned beast looked just like the creatures that guarded the entrance to the Pyramid. This one looked like a runt compared to those guys, but he was one of them.
They were all in very decorative armor. The smaller woman had dark armor. It had all the phases of the moon across it. They started on her left arm and phased as they moved across her chest and finally down her right arm. The giantess had very shiny metal armor. It had a dancing girl moving around the armor. It danced up and down the arms and around the chest and back. It never stopped moving. The dancer filled every spot she touched with, simple joy. The beast had well-worn plate armored. Oni could not see how he could sit in his chair. It had dents and scratches all over it. In the middle of his large chestplate a giant gauntlet was painted on to it.
Oni did not know what to do, so he just asked, “what are you doing?” The horned creature turned his head. His face looked angry. Oni was not sure is that things face could look any other way, but it looked mad. Its mouth opened and to Oni’s surprise spoke, “a puzzle of course.” The giantess smiled huge, “now, now, this is joyful event.” She smiled directly at Oni, “we are trying to piece it together.”
Oni looked down at the table and sure enough there are a puzzle. It was unclear what was on the puzzle. It looked like it might be of a person. It might even be a female person. Each of the three sitting there had one puzzle piece in their hand. The pieces were just black white tiles. As the smaller woman placed her piece down, “I think this goes here,” the piece changed. It self-painted and formed a little part of a stone wall.
Oni thought this puzzle would tell him who the “she” was that the puzzle cat had talked about. He looked around and there were no other pieces. Oni looked at the woman that just laid the piece in place, “where are the rest of the pieces.” She pointed off into the distance, “She gets them for us when we need them.” Oni looked out and could see a table many days away. There was someone there. The giantess looked over to Oni. With just an inner joy she said, “yeah, when we finally place a piece, she brings us a new one.”
Hope moved across Oni. If he could finish this puzzle, he would know who the “she” was. He looked over to the other table. Like other times on the great plain, he shifted to the other table. He did not move, but shifted. He looked back and he could see the other three at the table. They were now a long way off, next to the tower. Oni came back to the Woman here. Oni heart dropped as it was Arnia. Her clothes were slightly torn, and he could see the whip wounds on her back. She saw him and smiled, “It is okay Oni. But, you do not have much time.”
Oni looked down at the table. Here was a box of puzzle pieces. They were blank, but the box was filled with them. Oni was about to ask her why she did not just take the whole box over to the three puzzlers. She reached into the box and pulled out one piece. The moment she did a black spot appeared on the plain and within Oni’s body. Oni had to stop her from taking new pieces. The pieces were killing the plain. Oni looked to her. He was starting to cry. His body found this easy these days. In the past he was often so dry he could not cry, but today it was easy.
He looked over the table with the box, but it was now the table with the puzzle. Oni and Arnia were standing next to the puzzle table and the three puzzlers. Arnia handed the piece to the smaller woman. She looked up and thanked her, “thank you dear.” Oni grabbed Arnia’s shoulders gently, “You can’t bring them any more pieces.” With a little desperation in his voice, “it is destroying the plain.” The horned beast looked over to Oni, “we have started the puzzle, we must finish the puzzle.” It huffed out its noise, and Oni thought he saw smoke come out of it. Oni started to look around in a panic, “You must stop.”
As Oni woke, the last thing he looked for and never saw was the glass ball of rainbows.